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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28081953">Who put this here?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/linocaffe/pseuds/linocaffe'>linocaffe</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stray Kids (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Childhood Friends, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Non-Linear Narrative, just like in real life, minsung are dumb and oblivious</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:55:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,397</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28081953</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/linocaffe/pseuds/linocaffe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Minho and Jisung find an acorn. </p>
<p>Minho found it by a tree, and he knows exactly what to do with it. Jisung found it on his bed, and he couldn't be more confused.</p>
<p>It's a little acorn, what harm can it do?</p>
<p>This is where they learn change doesn't need much for it to happen.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>49</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Who put this here?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/bodaramji/gifts">bodaramji</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>ely!!! it's your birthday yay!! here's my attempt at giving you a birthday present in the shape of some of your favorite minsung moments,,i hope i did them justice...</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>This story varies depending on who you ask. To be honest, both are very similar, two sides of the same coin. But both will tell them to you in their own way.</p>
<p>It all started with an acorn.</p>
<p>Well...not really.</p>
<p>If we are to be truthful here, it all started when Jisung was seven and Minho was nine and they met in the playground, and Jisung was too little and also a little too dumb and he tried to climb the old pine tree, which in hindsight, he also thinks it wasn’t a good idea. Minho agreed.</p>
<p>In fact, even nine year old Minho agreed.</p>
<p>“Hey!” Minho looked up at the small boy that tried to go up, “what are you doing?”</p>
<p>“I’m trying to get a better view.”</p>
<p>“Of what?”</p>
<p>“The world.”</p>
<p>“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”</p>
<p>It was, in fact, not a good idea; and Jisung learned that the hard way as he felt his foot slip off a branch and his body fall to the floor.</p>
<p>Well, not exactly. Not completely the floor really because Minho was able to catch him. Sort of.</p>
<p>He saved him from the worst of the hit, but there was no way with a fall like that —even with little Minho helping— that he wouldn’t come out without a scratch or two. Or two broken arms to be exact.</p>
<p>Jisung wasn’t as scared about it as you would think a kid would be; what he was was annoyed, as he realized on his first time in the hospital, that he wouldn’t be able to do, well, basically anything, without either of his arms. </p>
<p>Lucky kid he was though, because Minho, having witnessed the whole thing, had been worried enough about the other kid that he had waited all day outside his hospital room the first day Jisung had been there.</p>
<p>That had not been it. As Minho had gone back once more the day after. And the next, and the next, and the next.</p>
<p>He would soon learn that taking care of Jisung wasn’t an easy task: the kid was demanding. It was a bit bothersome —if Minho was to be honest—, but not that much as to make him leave. In fact, the more he got to know him, the more he was intrigued about his bubbly and loud personality. Even if bringing him random food, scratching his back and head, even helping him eat and drink everyday wasn’t exactly the idea of a friendship he had in mind.</p>
<p>With both arms barely functional, Jisung was almost useless. It was so frustrating for him; even if he tried to remain positive, even if as a kid and having a personality like that made him naturally cheerful, he was tired of spending so much time in a hospital bed with his extremities stuck as straight as a broomstick, when all the kids were out there playing. </p>
<p>It was in those times that Jisung felt like having Minho made him feel less alone. </p>
<p>It was in those times that Minho felt staying with Jisung was worthwhile. </p>
<p>And it was one of those nights, when nine year old Minho heard the little boy sob —even when his back was to him, probably not knowing his new friend was in the room— that he decided that he would do anything to take care of little Jisung from now on.</p>
<p>It was a promise he had managed to keep so far, even after they left for college and Jisung was now twenty and Minho twenty two. It was a promise that Minho had almost forgotten, as taking care of his best friend turned almost into his second nature. </p>
<p>Jisung —being Jisung of course— never grew out of his habits of being a troublemaker. But time and time again, there was Minho by his side, helping him get out of whatever tight situation he got himself into. Luckily for both of them, nothing ever turned out to be as troublesome as that one incident with the tree. (With maybe that one exception where little Jisung tried to climb a fence, but he’s certainly never been outstanding in climbing, as we know, and ended up falling and knocking both his front teeth. Which is what earned him his nickname squirrel —the climbing, not the missing teeth. That, and his cute big cheeks.)</p>
<p>So what about the acorn, you say?</p>
<p>Well, here’s where things really start. Or rather, where they change. Only in some ways thought, because most things had been the same for a long time.</p>
<p>For Jisung, it goes like this:</p>
<p>He comes home after a long day. His shift today at the cafe had been one of the busiest ones of the month, and he had had a literature exam after that. Not that it was any hard for Jisung, he was usually really good in those kinds of subjects; but it was a heavy exam nonetheless —he had to read a thousand page book for it, that kind of heavy. </p>
<p>He only thinks about taking a bath and going to bed. He doesn’t want to think about anything else besides passing out in his very comfortable bed.</p>
<p>The same one that now had an acorn on it.</p>
<p>Frowning, he picks the small thing, turns it around and looks at it blinking. </p>
<p>An acorn. In his bed. What is an acorn doing on his bed?</p>
<p>There are no trees close to his room, it definitely didn’t get in through the window; besides, it looked like it was deliberately placed there. He has half a mind to go ask his roommate about it, but his body is so tired that as soon as he puts it down on his bedside table, he totally forgets about it.</p>
<p>It is, however, the first thing he sees when he wakes up in the morning. And now with a much clearer head, the question from last night seems to not be able to leave his thoughts.</p>
<p>“Oh, yeah, I put it there,” is what his best friend Minho answers when Jisung asks him about it.</p>
<p>Jisung blinks in confusion, “You left it there? Why?”</p>
<p>Minho simply shrugs and says, “because you’re a squirrel,” before he opens the front door and leaves their dorm for the day, leaving Jisung with acorn in one hand, coffee cup in the other, much more puzzled than before.</p>
<p>The next time he is able to bring up the acorn deal to Minho again, is the next day, as they grab lunch with their neighbor and friend, Jeongin. </p>
<p>“You put an acorn in his bed? Just like that? Why?” is the first thing Jeongin says when he recounts the story.</p>
<p>“Right! He’s so weird!” Jisung exclaims. </p>
<p>Minho laughs. “No, hey, you make it sound more weird than it is.”</p>
<p>“I don’t think it’s Jisung’s retelling, it just sounds a bit strange.” </p>
<p>“It’s not!” Minho sounds kind of exasperated, but he’s laughing along with the other two. “Listen, I was just walking around, and saw some acorns on the ground. I just thought about Jisung, because you know, he’s a squirrel, and that’s why I gave it to him. That’s it, it’s not weird, you just don’t appreciate my gifts.”</p>
<p>“You could just give him, I don’t know, a normal gift?” Jeongin frowns.</p>
<p>“But Jisung's special, why would I give him a normal gift? That’s boring! You’re both so ungrateful,” Minho throws his hands up in the air, “remind me to never gift you anything ever again.” His tone was rather light hearted though, and Jisung could see the small smile threatening to escape on his lips.</p>
<p>Jisung, despite all the teasing, does appreciate the thought. </p>
<p>The fact that Minho thought about him at such a random moment, and left such a tiny but meaningful gift for him is kind of touching.</p>
<p>It was then, that he first felt it again. The little flutter in his heart, the small smile that was uncalled, and the whisper in his thoughts. The sensation shocked him for a second. It’s been years since he last felt like this for his best friend.</p>
<p>It was never a secret to him, that for the longest time, he had a crush on Minho. It started in those hospital days, when Minho was the only light of his hospital stay, and carried to almost the end of his high school years. </p>
<p>So it had been a while since Jisung felt that funny feeling. Until he saw that small brown acorn.</p>
<p>It refused to leave his mind now, and everytime he saw his roommate he kept thinking about it. It wasn’t a problem for Jisung, this was a familiar feeling. Many years of having a crush over Minho had made him an expert on how to deal with it; it was just a surprise to him that it was coming back again after he thought his crush was over and the only way he liked Minho now was as a friend.</p>
<p>He remembered his time in high school. There was a specific year, where Jisung was absolutely head over heels for his best friend. Minho knew nothing about it of course, he had remained blissfully oblivious through it all —and Jisung was more than fine with that, there were never strong intentions to make anything out of his crush. However, one thing that Jisung kept finding himself wanting more of, was spending time with said best friend.</p>
<p>“Why do you like getting in trouble so much?” Minho had once asked him that year. They were sprawled on the floor of the older’s room, still panting from outrunning the cops.</p>
<p>“I don’t <em> like it </em>per se, it just happens.” He shrugs. </p>
<p>“Just happens?”, Minho let out a loud laugh, “What were you thinking would happen when you decided it was a good idea for us to break into the pool?”</p>
<p>“I mean, the idea was not getting caught?” Jisung adds with a wince. </p>
<p>Minho laughs again, genuine and bright; and Jisung feels both complete and empty at the same time.</p>
<p>Minho, being two years older than him, was in his last year of high school, and would soon leave Jisung behind. The oldest has reassured him he would constantly call him and visit as much as he could, but he couldn't help but feel it wasn’t enough; so he would come up with any kind of crazy idea —that he knew the other would tag along— with the sole purpose of spending time with him.</p>
<p>His mind and heart and body were with him all the time, how would he be able to spend so much time apart from him? </p>
<p>He knew it wasn’t forever, and he was just being dramatic, but it was Minho, who had been with him every single day since he was seven. It never was about the crush, it was about Minho.</p>
<p>Jisung turned the acorn in his hands. He was lying down in bed when he heard a knock on his door and a head pops in.</p>
<p>“I’m bored, let’s go for a walk,” is what Minho says as a greeting.</p>
<p>“Hello to you too,” Jisung mutters but stands up and follows his friend out.</p>
<p>They walk side to side, Minho taking his place on his right. </p>
<p>Jisung feels their shoulders brush a couple of times. He’s used to this familiarity, to being so comfortable around Minho as if he was part of himself. He thinks of the acorn again. There’s something about that acorn. Such a small thing, a small gesture. It’s not like Minho never did anything for Jisung, he did. But there is just something unexplainable about it that makes him feel all types of feelings inside. It even makes him think that maybe, just maybe, he never stopped liking the other in the first place.</p>
<p>So that’s where he decides. It's a normal moment, just him and his best friend walking around while looking at the city lights like they always do; no one would think there is anything out of the ordinary about it. However in Jisung’s head, a decision was made: for the first time since he knew him, he wanted to give the possibility of him and Minho being more than best friends. And once the decision is made, Jisung knows there is no unmaking it; he has always been one to pick a choice and never look back, whether it is the right one or not, there’s no regret in Jisung’s mind.</p>
<p>As they reach the park, one much similar to the one they met in, Jisung stops in his tracks and opens his mouth to speak. But...</p>
<p>But one always must look at the other side of this story of course, so here’s how it was for Minho:</p>
<p>Minho thinks about that first day a lot. He was taking a walk by the park; the day was nice and he was bored staying inside. It was then that he saw the kid that looked way smaller than him, trying to climb up the tree. Minho was little, but he liked to think he was big enough to know enough, and he knew that climbing that tree was definitely not a safe activity. He tried to dissuade the kid, but it was too late. He just remembers seeing something falling and then a knee kicked him square in the jaw as he tried to catch it. (It was a mean kick, it left a big bruise and the doctor had said it was a miracle he didn’t get any teeth knocked out.)</p>
<p>The kid had been much calmer than he had expected, which is what had worried him at first. Was he calm because of the shock and pain? He hoped it hadn’t been like that.</p>
<p>Minho had waited in the hospital all day. He had remained there until the doctors could assure him he was fine. Next day, he asked his mom to take him again. Everyone was thankful to him for helping the little kid and acting so fast when the accident happened, but when he saw the boy again, what he said to him was “Hey, could you scratch my head? It’s really itchy but…”, he raised both arms to signal why it was obvious why he couldn’t do it by himself.</p>
<p>The kid —who he now knew was called Jisung— was surprisingly very okay about his state. Or that is what it seemed like. Minho could tell that underneath that cheerful attitude, he was actually more upset that he let on.</p>
<p>Which is why he remained close. That, and the fact that against his better judgment —because kid Jisung was a little annoying sometimes— he rather liked the kid. He was a little dumb sometimes, but really smart most of the time, and very funny. To the point Minho was constantly laughing out loud. </p>
<p>It was easy for them to get along, and easy for him to like him. And as they grew up, that never changed.</p>
<p>Minho was always thinking of Jisung. He always wanted to know how he was, if he needed something, if he was tired or sad or upset, and what would it take to change that.</p>
<p>He was constantly in his mind. Even when he’s taking a walk, and he sees that one tree at the park that reminds him of the first time once again. He smiles to himself and as he looks down, he sees the small nuts scattered around the ground. It’s Jinsung’s funny frown he does when he gets called a squirrel that Minho gets reminded of this time. His smile grows biggers as he squats down and picks the acorn in his hands. </p>
<p>Squirrels always seek for acorns, and he wished for Jisung to seek him just as much. </p>
<p>He remembers the time when he left for college. Both of them still called and texted all the time, and like Minho had promised, nothing in their relationship changed. Still, part of him felt empty.</p>
<p>He missed Jisung much more than he expected. Even the stupid stuff like hiding behind a tree after they run away from trouble, or trying to study together for school only to end up playing video games late until night or even his stupid jokes. Minho missed having his best friend beside him. </p>
<p>Which is why he didn’t wait much after Jisung graduated high school to immediately ask him if they wanted to live together. </p>
<p>Minho was starting his junior year, and he and his actual roommate had both decided to go their ways where roomming was concerned. It’s not that Chan was a bad roommate, he was great actually, —and had turned into one of his best friends, the person he trusted the most; only second to Jisung, of course— it was just that they had decided that a change was good.</p>
<p>Chan, knowing almost everything about Minho, certainly knew about his big crush. </p>
<p>“You’re moving in together? Like together?” Chan was the first that Minho broke the news to.</p>
<p>“Is there another definition of together I don’t know?”</p>
<p>Chan looked him in the eye for a few seconds before asking “So, does he know already?”</p>
<p>“No, he doesn’t.”</p>
<p>“You should tell him?”</p>
<p>Minho frowned. “Why does he need to know for us to live together?”</p>
<p>“No, actually, I think you should get that out of the way <em> before </em>you move in together. Wouldn’t that potentially cause problems in the future?”</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>Chan shrugged. “What if something happens and you fight, or he starts dating someone and takes them there, or he finds out about it later and it turns awkward?”</p>
<p>Chan had been partly right. Moving with Jisung had been harder only because his crush had intensified, —which to be honest, Minho had previously thought was impossible. And yes, the second thing also had been right, Jisung had started to date someone and took them there once or twice. However, it didn’t last long, and luckily for Minho, he didn’t have to deal with that heartbreaking feeling for too long.</p>
<p>“It's fine, hyung, you know Jisung, he doesn't care about anything.” Minho had answered then.</p>
<p>Chan shook his head but laughed lightly. “Yeah, no kidding…” he added, which made Minho chuckle. </p>
<p>The first time Chan and Jisung met was about a year ago, which was about a half a year after Minho had moved to college. </p>
<p>The older had been unable to go home for Christmas because of his job —curse him for working at a cafe that had popular special Christmas drinks so there was double the work around the holidays— and Jisung was definitely bummed out when he heard the news. </p>
<p>“Hyung…”, he sounded so disappointed it made Minho’s heart ache a little.</p>
<p>“Sorry, Ji. I was also excited to go back home but this is a pretty good job for a student and I can't afford to lose it.” </p>
<p>“I know, I know. I understand. I'm just…I was just really excited to see you…”</p>
<p>“Me too.” he said, and after a heartbeat “I missed you…”, his voice barely audible.</p>
<p>“Me too, hyung.” Jisung sounded a little sad, but like usually Jisung, it never lasted long. “Hey!” </p>
<p>“Hmm?” </p>
<p>“What if <em> I </em> go to visit <em> you </em>?”</p>
<p>“You want to come here?”, the older questioned.</p>
<p>“Yeah! It's not that far, I can take the train. It's a three hour ride!”</p>
<p>“Well, that's not such a bad idea…” </p>
<p>It really wasn't, and Minho finished the call with the idea in mind. He will soon have to talk about him to get the details down, but having Jisung there could work out. </p>
<p>What he did not expect, was to wake up at nine in the morning the next day, to someone knocking on the door, and finding Jisung's face when he opened it; carrying only a small backpack over his shoulder and a big smile on his face. </p>
<p>Chan had liked Jisung's impulsiveness and spirited energy. The first thing he said to Minho when they were alone was “kid is a sunshine”.</p>
<p>Having Jisung there had been fun —even if it was quite a mess because he had underpacked and underprepared. He had missed him so much and having him here again reinforced his desire to live with him. </p>
<p>Of course, Jisung had agreed. He was already nervous about having to dorm with someone he didn't know, so the idea had appealed to him greatly; and with Jisung only having half a year of high school left, they started the planning instantly.</p>
<p>Chan had insisted that confessing his feelings was the best course of action, but Minho wasn't in any rush to let his feelings be known —be it because of fear or whatever— so he promptly ignored the suggestion.</p>
<p>He regretted it only once, when Jisung got a boyfriend for about a month, another art student like him. </p>
<p>The worse thing was that he actually liked the kid. Hyunjin was very handsome and quite shy but polite and friendly, which made it impossible to dislike him. But it didn't mean that every time he saw them together it felt like his heart was crushing in a hundred tiny pieces.</p>
<p>Good for him, he didn't have to go through that for too long. Hyunjin and Jisung decided they were better as friends and broke things off pretty quickly. (They still keep in touch with him and Minho gets along really well with him now that he has no hard feelings.) </p>
<p>Besides that, Minho always lived happily with his best friend at his side. </p>
<p>Sometimes he thought it was funny; how he was sure his crush on his friend was so obvious. Just by how much Minho stared at him should be clear to anyone, yet Jisung seemed to be absolutely oblivious. </p>
<p>“What?” Jisung frowned at him. His cheeks were round and he had some ice cream smeared in his top lip. </p>
<p>It was a hot summer night and they had been walking around the very spot where confessions would be made in the future. </p>
<p>“What what?” Minho answers, still looking at him.</p>
<p>“Why are you staring at me?”</p>
<p>Minho shrugged and took a spoonful of ice cream. He could feel Jisung staring at him for a few more seconds before he shook his head and looked back ahead. </p>
<p>It was quite rare; the times where Jisung noticed Minho looking at him. He liked to stare constantly, that was true. And yeah, that sounds really creepy, but it’s nothing like that. It’s just that Minho never gets tired of looking at his best friend, the way one never gets tired of looking at the rainbow, or the stars. Call him fond or whatever you want, yeah, he was that. </p>
<p>It really didn’t matter much to Minho whatever shape his relationship with Jisung had. As long as they were together, that’s what mattered.</p>
<p>Or that was what he was trying to convince himself of. Because the actual truth was that he wanted nothing more than to call Jisung his. But he was scared. Scared that he would screw up and ruin their friendship. That every single good moment they had would be tainted by that mistake. Every single memory, from the hospital time, or that impulsive trip they took together in Busan in high school, to when Minho had sneakily held Jisung’s hand to calm him down on his first art exposition, to even the few fights they’ve had, nothing really serious; every memory he had of him was to precious, and he wanted to keep it that way.</p>
<p>He was also scared though, of ever truly regretting not telling him. Chan never repeated those words out loud, but Minho repeated them in his head. He was scared of the Hyunjin situation repeating itself, and he would only have himself to blame.</p>
<p>That’s what he realized when he picked that acorn, when he thought how much he loved the other, and how scared he was to lose him. </p>
<p>He was thinking that right now, walking beside him.</p>
<p>That’s when Minho too, opens his mouth to speak.</p>
<p>“I like you, hyung.”</p>
<p>“I want to tell you something.” </p>
<p>Minho freezes for a second then mutters “What?” at the same time Jisung says “Oh, what did you say?”</p>
<p>“No, wait. What did you just say?”</p>
<p>“I said I like you.” Jisung repeats. Just like that.</p>
<p>“I-” he laughed nervously, “I would think so, I mean, you would have not followed me all these years if you didn’t, right?”</p>
<p>“That’s not what I mean.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean then?” But Minho knew. It was finally clear to Minho, in the way the other looked at him, directly at his eyes. Jisung always had expressive eyes, and they were speaking for him right now.</p>
<p>“What did you want to tell me?”, he ignored the question with a sly smile.</p>
<p>“I guess....” Minho swallowed. His palms were sweaty and shaky. <em> Here goes nothing </em>, he thought. “I-I like you. Too.”</p>
<p>“Oh.”, his smile grew wide, “Well, that’s great!”</p>
<p>“Wh-what do you mean that’s great?” It was never strange for Minho to be appalled at Jisung’s simplessnes.</p>
<p>“I always wondered if you returned my feelings.”</p>
<p>“If I-” Minho almost choked. <em> Returned? </em></p>
<p>“I’ve had a crush on you since I met you. I thought it was obvious.”</p>
<p>“It wasn’t-”</p>
<p>“No, I’m sure it was. Jeongin says so anyway.”</p>
<p>“Jeongin-” Minho was apparently having serious trouble where full sentences were concerned.</p>
<p>“I know, I know, I just, I don’t know, I was happy with what we had. I just wanted to be close to you, that’s all.” Jisung seemed to have read his question in his mind, which was why Jisung never told him anything. </p>
<p>“Hyung.” His voice brought him back from his daze —which from an outside perspective, looked quite comical; mouth open and rapid blinking and all.</p>
<p>“Hmm?”</p>
<p>“There’s only one solution to this.”</p>
<p>“Solution?”</p>
<p>“Yes.”, he smiled brightly, “Let’s date.”</p>
<p>In a way, that acorn had been more than a gift. It was a decision, an opportunity, a change. <em> It was just a little acorn </em> , you may say, <em> how can it do so much? </em></p>
<p>But the thing is, change doesn’t need much for it to happen. Not when there’s so much already there. The caring, the loving, it was all there before. The acorn did nothing of that, all it did, was give them a little push.</p>
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